Experimental determination of the inertia constants of an airplane or of a missile

The possibility to measure the inertia constants of an airplane or of a missile by a unique experimental set up without having to materialize axes of rotation was investigated. It is sufficient to suspend the structure appropriately, to obtain the six natural modes determined by the suspension and to introduce these results as data into a computer. If the structure is very flexible it is necessary to take into account the first natural modes of deformation. Experiments on rigid and flexible models led to precise results and allow consideration of full scale measurements. The final goal is to provide, by a standard ground vibration test completed by the measured characteristics of the suspension modes, the set of data necessary for flutter calculations and for the determination of all the inertia constants

Antiproton-Proton Channels in J/psi Decays

The recent measurements by the BES Collaboration of J/psi decays into a photon and a proton-antiproton pair indicate a strong enhancement at the proton-antiproton threshold not observed in the decays into a neutral pion and a proton-antiproton pair. Is this enhancement due to a proton-antiproton quasi-bound state or a baryonium? A natural explanation follows from a traditional model of proton-antiproton interactions based on G-parity transformation. The observed proton-antiproton structure is due to a strong attraction in the 1S0 state, and possibly to a near-threshold quasi-bound state in the 11S0 wave.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. The antiproton-proton pair being in isospin one in the J/Psi decay into neutral pion-antiproton-proton, the antiproton-proton 1P1 and 3S1 waves have been replaced by the 31P1 and 33S1 ones and Figs. 1 and 2 have been replaced accordingly. Conclusions are unchanged. Most of the content of the paper is published in Phys. Rev. C72, 011001 (2005

Antiproton-proton resonant like channels in J/Psi decays into photon, proton and antiproton

The BES collaboration has recently observed a strong enhancement close to the proton-antiproton threshold in the J/Psi decays into photon, proton and antiproton. Such a structure can be explained by a traditional nucleon-antinucleon model. The near threshold 1S0 bound state and/or the well-established 3P0 resonant state found in this nucleon-antinucleon interaction can adequately describe the BES data.Comment: Invited talk at the 10th International Symposium on Meson-Nucleon Physics and the Structure of the Nucleon (MENU 2004), Beijing, China, August 29 - September 4, 2004 - 4 pages, 2 figure

CP violation and final state interactions in B --> K pi pi decays

Effects of CP violation and of final state interactions between pairs of pseudoscalar mesons are studied in three-body B+, B-, B0 and antiB0 decays into K pi pi. An alternative approach to the isobar model for three-body B decays is proposed. It is based on the QCD factorization approximation and the knowledge of the meson-meson form factors. Some phenomenological charming penguin amplitudes are needed to describe the branching fractions, direct CP asymmetries of the quasi-two-body B --> K*(892) pi and B --> K0*(1430) pi decays as well as the K pi effective mass and the helicity angle distributions. The experimental branching fractions for the B --> K0*(1430) pi decay, obtained by the Belle and BaBar collaborations using the isobar model, are larger than our predictions by about 52 per cent.Comment: 3 pages, contribution to International Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics HEP 2007, Manchester (England), July 19-25, 200

Two-Pion Exchange in Proton-Proton Scattering

The contribution of the box and crossed two-pion-exchange diagrams to proton-proton scattering at 90$^{\circ}_{c.m.}$ is calculated in the laboratory momentum range up to 12 GeV/c. Relativistic form factors related to the nucleon and pion size and representing the pion source distribution based on the quark structure of the hadronic core are included at each vertex of the pion-nucleon interaction. These form factors depend on the four-momenta of the exchanged pions and scattering nucleons. Feynman-diagram amplitudes calculated without form factors are checked against those derived from dispersion relations. In this comparison, one notices that a very short-range part of the crossed diagram, neglected in dispersion-relation calculations of the two-pion-exchange nucleon-nucleon potential, gives a sizable contribution. In the Feynman-diagram calculation with form factors the agreement with measured spin-separated cross sections, as well as amplitudes in the lower part of the energy range considered, is much better for pion-nucleon pseudo-vector vis \`a vis pseudo-scalar coupling. While strengths of the box and crossed diagrams are comparable for laboratory momenta below 2 GeV/c, the crossed diagram dominates for larger momenta, largely due to the kinematics of the crossed diagram allowing a smaller momentum transfer in the nucleon center of mass. An important contribution arises from the principal-value part of the integrals which is non-zero when form factors are included. It seems that the importance of the exchange of color singlets may extend higher in energy than expected

Imaging the symmetry breaking of molecular orbitals in carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes have attracted considerable interest for their unique electronic properties. They are fascinating candidates for fundamental studies of one dimensional materials as well as for future molecular electronics applications. The molecular orbitals of nanotubes are of particular importance as they govern the transport properties and the chemical reactivity of the system. Here we show for the first time a complete experimental investigation of molecular orbitals of single wall carbon nanotubes using atomically resolved scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Local conductance measurements show spectacular carbon-carbon bond asymmetry at the Van Hove singularities for both semiconducting and metallic tubes, demonstrating the symmetry breaking of molecular orbitals in nanotubes. Whatever the tube, only two types of complementary orbitals are alternatively observed. An analytical tight-binding model describing the interference patterns of ? orbitals confirmed by ab initio calculations, perfectly reproduces the experimental results

Thermal Ground Testing of Concorde and Veras or Improvement in French Test Methods and Facilities

The more numerous the requirements are in aerospace vehicle operations, the more the ground test facility have to improve both the nature and the quality of the equipment as well as the volume and the size of the sites, for the importance of ground testing cannot be over emphasized. As an example, two ground test programs are reviewed in this presentation, namely CONCORDE and VERAS. Special emphasis is given to the facility implementations due respectively to the static and fatigue test of CONCORDE in heat environment and to the dynamic test of VERAS in high level and transient temperature conditions

Une synthèse des modèles de représentation des connaissances à base de Graphes Conceptuels et OWL

Nous présentons et comparons deux approches de modélisation, formelles et concrètes, pour représenter et manipuler des connaissances d’un domaine. Le modèle des graphes conceptuels permet de modéliser des connaissances en terme de graphes, basés sur un support. Cette approche de modélisation est intensionnelle, est munie d’une sémantique en logique du premier ordre, et fait l’hypothèse d’un monde fermé pour ses raisonnements. Le langage OWL permet de décrire des ontologies et des faits sur le Web, suivant une approche de modélisation extensionnelle. Il possède une sémantique issue des logiques de descriptions, et fait l’hypothèse d’un monde ouvert pour ses raisonnements

Raman spectroscopy of boron nitride nanotubes and boron nitride-carbon composites

Boron nitride nanotubes (BN-NT) are topological analoges to single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT). We analysed and refined the filling process for SWCNTs and applied it to the BN-NTs. BN-NTs were first annealed in air to open the ends and to remove BN particles. A filling procedure with C60 fullerene via vapour phase was applied. Subsequently high temperature treatment was performed to transform the fullerenes. Some spectral features in the Raman spectra of the reaction products in the low frequency range may be assigned to small diameter carbon nanotubes inside the BN-NTs

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors and Their Novel Ligands as Candidates for the Treatment of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major health issue worldwide, frequently associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Steatosis is the initial stage of the disease, which is characterized by lipid accumulation in hepatocytes, which can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with inflammation and various levels of fibrosis that further increase the risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The pathogenesis of NAFLD is influenced by interactions between genetic and environmental factors and involves several biological processes in multiple organs. No effective therapy is currently available for the treatment of NAFLD. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptors that regulate many functions that are disturbed in NAFLD, including glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as inflammation. Thus, they represent relevant clinical targets for NAFLD. In this review, we describe the determinants and mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of NAFLD, its progression and complications, as well as the current therapeutic strategies that are employed. We also focus on the complementary and distinct roles of PPAR isotypes in many biological processes and on the effects of first-generation PPAR agonists. Finally, we review novel and safe PPAR agonists with improved efficacy and their potential use in the treatment of NAFLD